


make you feel my love

by electrific



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Astraphobia, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non Sexual Mild Choking, Soft Gay Boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-06-28 07:25:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15702582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electrific/pseuds/electrific
Summary: Jongin is afraid of storms, and Baekhyun is his shelter.





	make you feel my love

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! this is a soft thing but tw // nini has astraphobia which is the fear of storms and thunder and lightning, and this fic has inaccurate descriptions of that plus mild? anxiety attacks caused by his fear? please read at your own discretion, otherwise, this is a soft fic.

Jongin has always hated summer and the storms that come with it.

 

Winter, he can tolerate- donning on a couple of extra layers and turning the heat up is easy. Fall and spring are mild and rainy and Jongin likes going on long walks with his dogs through the forest trails.

 

Jongin practically grew up in these backwoods- his mom would take him hiking all the time when he was a kid. They’d spend every other weekend hidden away in a tiny cabin in the woods, with nothing but the wind for company. All the kids in school would make fun of him when he came back on Mondays with little scratches on his face and arms- the branches and the bark of the trees grazing tender skin so easily. They’d call him  _ tree boy _ and fill his satchel with leaves. Jongin didn’t have any friends, and he didn’t like picking fights with bullies- it wasn’t really in his nature to be anything other than calm and peace-seeking, exactly the way his mother had raised him. He’d stick the prettier leaves in his scrapbook and return the rest to the winds.

 

Jongin loved nature. He didn’t mind being teased for it, he didn’t mind not having anyone to play with during recess.

 

Except, summers. Summer storms were truly terrifying- nature’s cruel reminder that she didn’t serve to please anyone. School went on till July, well into thunderstorm season. The classrooms would get dark and they wouldn’t be allowed outside during lunch-time. At the first clap of thunder, Jongin would jump in his seat and try not to cry. He really, really didn’t like storms. His desk-mate would laugh at him and go back to her friends, leaving Jongin to pick up his lunch bag and find an empty classroom to hide in. He’d close his eyes and cover his ears and try and remember the lyrics from the records his mom loved to play after supper.

 

One summer, the storms came back and with them came one Baekhyun Byun. He’d joined at the end of the school year and he didn’t have any friends either. He was tall and chubby and the only other Asian kid in class. People tried making fun of him, but he was just loud and funny and cute and he yelled when people were mean to him. Jongin was wary of him- in his experience, no one who’d ever pretended to be friendly and cheerful actually turned out to be that way. But then, one Thursday, another storm rolled through town. Jongin was hiding in his favourite classroom and singing shakily when Baekhyun came in and sat beside him and sang too. He held his hand and offered him half of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

 

With time, Jongin learned that Baekhyun was a whole hurricane, his very own fun-sized thunderstorm. A friendship forged in 80’s songs and cling-film wrapped lunches, hours spent hunched over their Game Boys and trying to beat each other’s scores. On rainy days, they’d find a new classroom to hide away in. Baekhyun would sing, and Jongin would dance to his melody, to the song running through their fingers and down into the earth.

 

Now, however, it’s summer again and Jongin isn’t ready for the storms that come with it. The clouds weigh down threateningly, pouring hot rain and he’s annoyed.

 

It's another Thursday, just past midnight, when Jongin steps in through the door of their home. He gets an enthusiastic greeting from Mongryong, who has apparently been locked out of their bedroom and waiting for Jongin’s return. He shies away from the raindrops dripping out of Jongin's hair- his owner is soaked from head to toe, having caught the start of the downpour almost as soon as he left his studio. His breathing is still unsteady from having run almost all of the 20 minutes it takes to reach home, and he’s limping from over-exertion.

 

Mongryong is placated with a couple of pats and scratches behind his ears, and he pads back through the corridor and up the stairs. Jongin toes off his soggy sneakers and socks before following him up. It's dark and quiet in the house, and Jongin cracks open their bedroom door, immediately being attacked by three fuzzy bundles. Jjangah and Jjangu hop around his feet while Monggu greets Mongryong by sniffing his fluffy butt. It takes a while to get them all calmed down again before he can look up into their room, finding a lumpy mess covered by the comforter in the middle of their bed. Jongin smiles to himself before heading in for a much-needed shower. He's smelly from sweat and the heat of the rain, and he’s sniffling already.

 

The shower is hot, and he contemplates running a bath to soothe his aching feet from having danced well into the hours of the night, but it's late and there's nothing he'd like more than to settle in under the covers and cuddle his boyfriend to sleep.

 

He’s soaping down his body when a muffled crash echoes through the room, and Jongin jerks, yelping when his head smashes into the cold tile of their shower.  _ Fuck.  _ The sound of thunder has his skin erupting in goosebumps, and Jongin shivers and turns the water higher to drown out the beginnings of the storm. He finishes his shower quickly, hardly bothering to dry his hair as he slips on his sweats and exits the bathroom.

 

The dogs hog whatever space his boyfriend has left on the bed and Jongin nudges Monggu with his toes until he makes room for Jongin to squeeze in. God, they need a bigger bed. He has to wrestle with the comforter before Baekhyun rolls over, mumbling groggily as Jongin tugs it free.

 

“Nini?” Baekhyun groans, eyebrows furrowed but his eyes still closed as he tilts his face in Jongin’s general direction. Jongin laughs, feeling a burst of affection spread through his chest and down to his toes.

 

“Yeah, babe, it’s me. Go back to sleep.” He says, climbing under the covers and shivering as his body adjusts to the warmth. Baekhyun mumbles unintelligibly, arms flopping over Jongin’s torso as he snuggles into Jongin’s freshly washed chest.

 

“Mm. Yes.” Baekhyun mumbles, lips against Jongin’s neck, and Jongin giggles as Jjangah wriggles into the gap between their legs, her tiny head resting on Baekhyun’s thigh. Jongin hooks a leg over Baekhyun’s calves and settles down to sleep.

 

Except, the rain and the distant rumbling of clouds have him antsy and on edge, and he forces himself to stay still so he doesn’t disturb his boyfriend and their babies. Baekhyun is never affected by storms- he likes the rain, loves going out with the dogs and getting drenched and then sitting in front of the fire to brush their coats out. He loves thunder and lightning and storms, always has, even when he was the tiny kid in Jongin’s elementary school who held his hand and sang for him while the storm raged around them. The only difference between then and now is that Jongin (and the rest of their grade) grew without him, leaving him small enough to fit comfortably into Jongin’s chest the way he is now, radiating his sleepy warmth. Baekhyun doesn’t feel cold and scared- he’s always burning hot, always running on a different plane altogether.

 

A flash of lightning streaks across the skies- their curtains are open, and their room lights up eerily. A roll of thunder follows, and Jongin shakes, closing his eyes and moaning out a soft “ _ Baekhyun-ah,”.  _ Baekhyun snaps his eyes open and is awake and attentive to the sheer terror in Jongin’s broken voice and the way he’s shuddering in fear. Jongin’s lungs stutter to a stop.

 

“Oh no, baby,” Baekhyun croons, rolling on top of him and pinning him in place. Jongin clings onto him, clings to the weight of his body. He’s warm and grounding, and like this, Jongin’s chest eases up a little. The push of his boyfriend’s familiar weight on his chest forces air out of his lungs, and he has to inhale to stop from passing out. He digs his fingers into Baekhyun’s forearms, taking in shallow breaths. Baekhyun’s face is soft from sleep, the crinkles of his pillow pressed into his skin- but his eyes are wide and careful. Baekhyun isn’t afraid of storms, but he knows Jongin is, and he’s there to shelter him from the rain, from every roll of thunder.

 

“Jongin,” Baekhyun says, softly, whispers it like if he’s too loud, Jongin will break. Jongin won’t- they’ve done this hundreds of times before, and yet, Baekhyun never tires of holding him like this, his warmth seeping into Jongin’s until it reaches the tips of his fingers.

 

Jongin nods, breathing sharply and calming his nerves. He practiced too hard at the studio and he’s strung out. It’s fine. “I’m fine,” he says, rolling them onto their sides. Baekhyun watches him, petting his waist soothingly.

 

“Yeah, you are. I’m here for you baby, you’re safe.” Baekhyun murmurs, reaching up to pepper Jongin’s face in soft kisses. In the distance, the clouds rumble threateningly, as though to refute his words, and Baekhyun tsks, frowning. “Can I get up to close the curtains?” He asks.

“In a minute. Just- just need you for a bit.” Jongin says, getting a soft hum in return. He closes his eyes, burying his face in Baekhyun’s neck and breathing in the scent of shower gel and clean linen. He nods, drawing away and slowly letting go of Baekhyun’s sleep shirt. His fingers are stiff.

 

Baekhyun is quick to close the curtains to the storm, and on his way back, he rummages through one of the storage units under their bed before coming up with his well-worn weighted blanket. It’s padded and soft and weighed down with pellets, and although Baekhyun’s insomnia has gotten much better over the years, they both still take comfort in that blanket. Baekhyun grabs one of his own over-sized sweatshirts from their closet before returning to bed. Jongin lets him pulls the sweatshirt over his head, giggling when Baekhyun pauses to kiss his nose as his face emerges from the soft fabric. Baekhyun kisses his lips, pushing Jongin’s hair out of his eyes and tugging him back onto the pillows.

 

“Hi, baby,” Baekhyun coos, cuddling him close. Jongin smiles, shooing the dogs off the bed as Baekhyun shakes the blanket open, draping it over himself and Jongin. It’s like being doused in jasmine-scented warmth, and Jongin sighs.

 

“Good?” Baekhyun asks, and Jongin nods again, curling into Baekhyun.

 

“Sorry for waking you up,” Jongin says mournfully, and Baekhyun tsks again, smacking his back lightly.

 

“I’m always here for you baby. I’d been waiting up for you but ended up napping anyways- you came back really late.” Baekhyun says, and Jongin hums into the warmth of his neck. Jjangu huffs from the floor, and Baekhyun leans back to make kissy noises at him before patting the bed. All four dogs jump up eagerly, finding comfortable spots on top of the blanket to curl up on. There’s barely enough room for all of them- they  _ really  _ need a bigger bed. Mongryong settles his head on Jongin’s ankles, and Jongin winces, nudging the heavier dog off. He’d busted his ankle too many times as a kid, trying to perfect his pirouettes and landing awkwardly. He’s more careful now, but whenever he practices too hard at the studio, his ankle  acts up periodically to remind him of how much chronic injuries suck.

 

“Class went on till late,” Jongin says, stroking Jjangah’s fur. She’s settled in between their legs again.  “Zoya has her recital next week and her moms wanted me to practice with her a little more. And when the three of them left, I ended up trying to finish some more choreography and it got late.”

 

“Did you eat?” Baekhyun asks, hand slipping up his sweatshirt to trace warm patterns onto Jongin’s back.

 

“Yeah, I ordered in. Good thing, too, because it was so late by the time I got done, and everything was closed for the night. It started raining on my way back.” Jongin shivers and Baekhyun wraps himself closer.

 

“You’re silly- I could have picked you up if you’d texted.” Baekhyun scolds, and Jongin smiles sheepishly.

 

“You looked busy writing when I left in the morning and I didn’t wanna disturb that headspace.” Jongin mutters, and Baekhyun glares at him.

 

“You know I don’t spend all day writing- god, how I  _ wish  _ I was capable of writing that much in a day.” He whines, and Jongin can’t help the affection bubbling over and warming him.

 

“I know, I’m sorry. I love you,” Jongin says, and Baekhyun’s  _ weak  _ because he smiles so wide and drops the topic, choosing to nuzzle Jongin’s shoulder. Their bliss is interrupted by a loud crack of lightning, and Jongin whimpers, stiffening up in his boyfriend’s arms.

 

“ _ Fuck, _ ” he whines, and Baekhyun shushes him, sitting up and patting his lap. Jongin shuffles under the blanket to rest his head on Baekhyun’s thighs, eyes screwed shut as he tries to drown out the storm and focus on the way Baekhyun is threading his fingers through Jongin’s damp hair, combing out the strands.

 

“You’re gonna be fine, Nini,” Baekhyun murmurs, placing his other hand on Jongin’s neck, pushing down on his sternum with the heel of his palm. Jongin inhales deeply, forcing all his attention to the warmth of Baekhyun’s hand and how sturdy and grounding it is. When he swallows, he can feel the burning heat of Baekhyun’s fingers spread along his neck like a brand, claiming him and digging into his skin for life. Baekhyun is a summer storm, hot and loud and pulling up Jongin’s roots until the only thing left is  _ Baekhyun. _

 

The thunder subsides, and Jongin is gasping like he can’t breathe, and Baekhyun’s fingers tighten the slightest before returning back to a loose grip. The brief pressure is enough though, because Jongin’s lungs flood with air and he takes it in in heaving pants.

 

“Nini,” Baekhyun croons, and Jongin stills, looking up at his boyfriend. His heart races as feeling returns to his fingers and sets off pins and needles along his palms. Jongin reaches a buzzing hand up and places it on Baekhyun’s cheek, closing his eyes at the way his boyfriend turns and kisses his skin.

 

“Thank you,” Jongin whispers, and Baekhyun kisses his palm again, before leaning down and kissing his forehead too, his cheeks and his chin and his nose and his lips- everywhere he can reach with those pouty lips of his.

 

“I love you, you’re always going to be fine when you’re with me. I’m here for you, baby,” Baekhyun coos, and Jongin nods, sitting up to crawl into his boyfriend’s lap. Baekhyun lifts the blanket over him and his arms come up to hug Jongin, rocking them from side to side. Jongin melts into his embrace.

 

“I know. I love you too,  _ so much, _ ” Jongin whispers into the crook of Baekhyun’s neck. He’s much bigger than the older boy, but like this, he seems to fit just right.

 

Baekhyun hums, petting through Jongin’s hair and calming him down again. However, the storm still rages on around them, sending chills down his spine. He whimpers.

 

“Nini, Mongryong’s concerned,” Baekhyun says, kissing Jongin’s neck.

 

“Don’t let the babies see me like this,” Jongin moans, whining at the huff of laughter against his skin.

 

“I’m not kicking them out, darling,” Baekhyun says, continuing to lavish his skin with kisses until Jongin feels as golden as his skin. “I’ll get you some earphones, okay?” he says gently, pulling back to look Jongin in the eye. “Get under the covers, I’ll be right back.”

 

Jongin whines as Baekhyun nudges him off, lowering him back onto the bed. Jongin settles, snuggling into Baekhyun’s warmth lingering on his pillow. Baekhyun plugs Jongin’s phone to charge and returns with a pair of earphones and his own phone, setting up white noise for Jongin to fall asleep to.

 

A flash of lightning seems to strike right above them, silhouetted against their heavy curtains. Jjangah growls at the window, and Baekhyun laughs, settling beside Jongin again.

 

“My precious puppies,” he croons, and Jongin buries his face into Baekhyun’s shoulder. Baekhyun hands him the earphones, kissing him again. Jongin can taste the faint traces of mint toothpaste on Baekhyun’s lips and keeps kissing him, taking comfort in the familiar warmth of his boyfriend’s mouth.

 

“I love you,” he whispers again, and Baekhyun kisses him once more.

 

“I love you too, sweetheart. I’m here for you,” Baekhyun murmurs. It’s late, nearing 2 am, but he patiently waits for Jongin to plug in his earphones, eyes closing over as white noise filters through his ears.

 

They don’t say anything more, but Jongin melts into Baekhyun’s warmth, breathing slowly calming as he’s lulled into a sense of safety in his boyfriend’s arms. Baekhyun, his own summer storm- sticky and warm and loud, getting right up in his space and drowning out everything else. Baekhyun, with his soft lips and soft hands, running over his body and calming and claiming him as his own. Summer rain.

 

Right before he loses himself to the call of sleep, he registers the look on Baekhyun’s face- the look that’s etched into the furrow of his eyebrows and the molten adoration in his eyes- the look that says that Baekhyun would go out into the howling winds, swim into the middle of a raging ocean, stand at the peak of the highest mountain and hold the weight of every last cloud on his own shoulders, just to keep Jongin dry. It has him overwhelmed, flowers blooming in his chest and threatening to suffocate him with the sweet, sweet perfume of unadulterated  _ love.  _ His face scrunches up in distress, and it’s only with Baekhyun pulling him to his chest that he calms once more.

 

Baekhyun, his summer storm, but also his winter snow- soft and lovely, familiar, in whose arms Jongin will always find his home. He falls asleep like that, body intertwined with Baekhyun’s under heavy blankets and their puppies nestled across their limbs and their bed. The white noise in his ears seems to take over, spreading through their room until Jongin succumbs to the safety of his lover’s arms. The calm after a storm.

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading, if you liked this i'd really love comments or kudos- they make me feel awesome :D all feedback is awesome :D my [twt](https://twitter.com/eIectrific) |


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